Free
by The Chair Faerie
Summary: This continues after Gabe and Jonas get off the sled and hear music. I just added another chapter to the story... I hope you like it ^_^
1. Free: Part One

Free : Part 1

By Lone_Wolf

The Giver stood before the community. In sad mournful voice he announced to them that Jonas was lost in the river. All was silent, even the noisy babies sitting on nurturer's laps. A ceremony of loss was performed, the name Jonas being shouted loudly gradually getting softer. Once it was of the ceremony continued normally yet anyone could walk into the room and tell that something was wrong. _I hope he's okay_, the giver thought. Even as he said this he could feel long gone memories coming back to him, he could sense that the others felt it too. 

***

"Music, music," Gabe chanted as the hopped off the sled towards the center of the town, closer to the music. People moved out of their way as they passed, some looking sad, others looking disgusted. Jonas looked around. People in Elsewhere were different than from the Community. The people where of many different colors; from a pale crème to a dark brown on the verge of black, some people had white hair (most whom were Elders, Jonas decided), others had curly golden locks, or a straight mousy brown hair. Jonas hugged Gabe closer to himself aware that nearly everyone was staring at them. At last they reached the carolers, Jonas placed Gabe down staring at the huge Christmas tree behind the chorus. Jonas closed his eyes and listened as they began "Hark the Harold Angels Sing." _So this is music_ he thought to himself.

***

The days turned into weeks since Jonas had left the community. More and more memories were slowing seeping back into the community. As each day passed things began to be less organized and more disoriented. The memories caused people to act overemotionally causing many fights yet creating love at the same time. Though no one admitted this the Giver could feel it in the air. The Council had taking to asking for advice everyday for now it seemed as if a new memory came with the coming day. 

As with the plan the Giver comforted the community in the way that he had comforted Rosemary and Jonas. It was here where the Giver told them that he was too weak to take in any more memories, to hold their burden anymore. The community was very disappointed as this and even demanded that he should be released but they knew what would happen if he was gone. The memories would be everywhere. 

***

Jonas and Gabe stood in the snow long after the carolers had gone away. They had nowhere to go and Jonas was thinking about spending the night under the huge Christmas tree that the carolers sang in front of. A woman walked in front of them. She was still young but no younger than twenty. She had long black hair and pale skin and her dark brown eyes stared at them very carefully with a certain sadness that Jonas couldn't describe. She was dressed completely in black with a bright red Christmas ribbon keeping her hair out of her face. Jonas recognized her from the crowd that was listening to the carolers. "Hello, my name is Linda," she said in a kind voice. "Is he your brother?" she asked pointed to Gabe asleep on Jonas' shoulder. Gabe was in very bad condition from the journey. His face was streaked in mud and his hair was dirty and greasy. "Yes," replied Jonas. "His name is Gabriel. My name is Jonas." He held right hand out to shake hers for it was a sign of respect to always shake hands upon introduction. "Hello, Jonas." She knew the answer to this question but she needed to hear it from the child himself. "Where are your parents?" 

Jonas thought about this question for a very long time until he finally said , "We don't have any." _Is that a lie_? He thought to himself. _No, it isn't. Parents are people who care. I don't have any._ "Come with me then," Linda ordered. Jonas wasn't sure that he could trust this woman. "Where are you taking us?" he asked finally. 

"To the orphanage, I run it."

"Orphanage?" 

"Orphanage. You know the place where kids live if they don't have any parents." Jonas was thoroughly confused. _The Giver never said anything about people not having parents before the Change. Why wouldn't kids have any parents? _The answer soon came to him. _They were killed._

***

The Giver was getting weaker day by day. He could feel it. Soon he would have to leave this world forever. _Jonas? Is Jonas okay?_ He thought every night before he fell asleep. 

One night while he was staring at the blank walls of his dwelling he asked himself once again, _Jonas? Is Jonas okay? _This time the answer came to him. _Jonas is fine. _He closed his eyes and never opened them again. 

***


	2. Free: Part Two- Emotions

Free: Part Two Gideon Epistola Gideon Epistola 1 2 2001-11-10T17:39:00Z 2001-11-10T17:41:00Z 2 775 4423 36 8 5431 9.2720 

_Free_: Part Two

By Lone Wolf

The sun set over the horizon. Asher stared at its beauty. Never before had he seen something like this. Climate control kept things almost the same light everyday. Only at night would it be dark and never had anyone in the community seen a sunset. That was a sight seen by one person and one-person only- the Receiver. _How I envy Jonas, Asher thought. __To be able to see something such as this, I wonder where he went. Asher felt a pang in his heart; __it's beautiful but to risk pain, sadness, to see something like this I don't think you did the right thing, Jonas. I hate you. Why did you have to put us through all this? Why did you have to leave? The Elders were wrong, you were not strong enough. But I will be. I will be stronger than you. I will last through this awful nightmare of freedom. "I wish things were the way they used to be."_

"You do?""

"Huh? Fiona what are you doing here?" Asher answered to the red headed girl sitting on a nearby boulder. "I thought you'd be at home you see to hate things now. You ran out crying yesterday..."

"Asher, hate is a very powerful word." 

"So, you're going to give me a speech lesson now?" Asher joked.

"Oh Ash, I don't know anymore. I just can take it. These thoughts just rush through my body and I feel it. Here," she said putting his hand on her heart. "Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it gives me the most, there is no word to describe it, wonderful, I suppose feeling and I feel like nothing in life could ever push me down and other times like now, times when I see you, my heart just throbs and I get this feeling like I want something but I have no idea what it is... I don't know what it is..."

"You haven't had the stirrings yet, have you?" 

"No, what are they, and what do they have to do with my wanting for something when I see you?"

"I don't know exactly but from what my parents say it has something to do with wanting the opposite gender, I dunno something about wanting to populate the world… You know those pills your parents take. Well when you get the stirrings you're supposed to take them too. I don't know how to explain it but when I forget to take my pill I feel that way about you too."

* * *

Jonas walked into the orphanage. It was a cold run down place with children running everywhere. Many were just Ones in cribs crying for someone to change their diaper or because they hadn't eaten in hours. Jonas took a look at their faces._ How sad they look. Is this why we chose to live in these protected communities, why we chose never to feel pain and never see beauty again? "Linda? Why are there no kids my age?" _

"They have school, dear."

"Oh."

"I'm hungry," Gabe said suddenly. "I need food."

"No Gabe, you don't need food, you can still go awhile without it. You _want food," Jonas corrected._

"I want food."

"That's better."

"Where do you guys come from?" Linda asked. "You don't talk much like us you enunciate your words perfectly and you use words very carefully. Are you sure you come from here."

"All I can say is that we come from a far away Community and someday Gabe and I will come back and see if things are better."

"So, here's where you will be sleeping, I put Gabe's crib and your bed close together…

* * *

Discussion between the Elders of the Community

"What's the point of going on any longer? No one's paying attention anymore. Everyone is minding all these _annoying emotions… The Community can't go on like this. It's too much. We must find a way to get a new Receiver, one who won't leave us in the dust."_

"He was old. He had to go sometime."

"But what about us?"

"He simply couldn't help it."

"We need to quickly pick a new Receiver or else the plan of a perfect world will be destroyed. We proved to Elsewhere generations ago that we could pull this off. We will not fall now. We need a Receiver."

* * *

"Asher, I don't want to go home," Fiona whispered in his ear.

"You know what," said Asher also whispering, "I don't want to go home either." The sun had finished setting. It was a rule that unless you had permission, if you were still in schooling you were restricted to be outside during the night. Asher put his arm around Fiona. Her thick red curls glimmered in the moon light. How he longed to touch them. He saw Fiona shiver. How he wished he had taken the pill in the morning. He sat next to her and put his arm around on her back. He imagined how things were the way they used to be and how painless it had all been. There was no true happiness but there was no pain. He felt Fiona go blank and suddenly he had that memory no more.

"What just happened?" he asked suddenly.

"I don't know. You put your hand on my back and suddenly I was back in time, before all this had happened. I saw everything the memory was so clear."

"That's what I was focusing on when I had put my hand on your back but now, it's gone. I don't remember that anymore. It's gone…"

"Oh Ash…"

Authors Note: I'm sorry I didn't finish writing this in such a long time! For all of those who were waiting for this sequel I'm so sorry. I don't think it's quite as good as the original but thanks for reading it anyway! 

****

Lone Wolf 


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